Azure Cache for Redis cost: tier and size, billed per hour

Quick answer

Azure Cache for Redis bills per hour by tier and size: Basic (single node, no SLA) is cheapest, Standard adds a replica and SLA, Premium adds clustering, persistence, and VNet, and Enterprise adds Redis modules and higher performance. Capacity is provisioned, so an idle cache costs the same as a busy one. Match the tier to availability and feature needs, and size to the working set.

Azure Cache for Redis is managed Redis, priced like most provisioned caches: per hour by the tier and cache size you choose. You pay for the capacity whether or not the cache is busy, so the tier and size decisions set the bill.

The tiers

Tier	Adds	Cost
Basic	Single node, no SLA	Lowest
Standard	Replica, automatic failover, SLA	Higher
Premium	Clustering, persistence, VNet, larger sizes	Higher still
Enterprise	Redis modules, active geo-replication, top performance	Highest

Basic is a single node with no SLA, fine for development. Standard adds a replica and failover for production availability. Premium adds clustering for scale, data persistence, VNet integration, and larger sizes. Enterprise adds Redis modules (search, time series) and the highest performance. Each step up costs more.

Provisioned, not per operation

Cost is per hour for the provisioned tier and size, not per request, so an oversized cache wastes money every hour. Size the cache to the working set it actually needs plus headroom, rather than rounding up, the same discipline as Memorystore.

Controlling Redis cache cost

Choose the lowest tier whose features and SLA you need (do not pay for Premium clustering or Enterprise modules you will not use), size to the real working set, use Basic in non-production, and remember the cache should deflect more downstream cost than it consumes, the caching break-even. A cache in front of a busy database easily pays for itself; an oversized one on the wrong tier does not.

FAQ

How is Azure Cache for Redis priced?

Per hour by tier and cache size: Basic (single node, no SLA) is cheapest, Standard adds a replica and SLA, Premium adds clustering, persistence, and VNet, and Enterprise adds Redis modules and top performance. Capacity is provisioned, so an idle cache costs the same as a busy one.

Which Azure Redis tier should I choose?

The lowest tier whose features and SLA you need. Use Basic for development, Standard for production availability with a replica and SLA, Premium when you need clustering, persistence, or VNet integration, and Enterprise only for Redis modules or top performance. Do not pay for features you will not use.

How do I reduce Azure Redis cost?

Choose the lowest tier that meets your needs, size the cache to the real working set plus headroom rather than rounding up, use Basic in non-production, and ensure the cache deflects more downstream cost (such as database reads) than it consumes. Provisioned capacity is billed whether used or not.

Does Azure Cache for Redis charge per operation?

No. It bills for provisioned capacity by the hour based on tier and size, not per request, so an oversized or idle cache wastes money every hour. Sizing to the actual working set is the main cost control, unlike per-operation pricing models.

What is the difference between Premium and Enterprise Redis?

Premium adds clustering, data persistence, VNet integration, and larger sizes to Standard. Enterprise, built on Redis Enterprise, adds Redis modules (such as search and time series), active geo-replication, and higher performance, at higher cost. Choose Enterprise only when you need those capabilities.

Does C3X estimate Azure Redis cost?

C3X prices the azurerm_redis_cache resource, including its tier and size, from your Terraform, so the provisioned hourly cost appears before deploy.

What to do next

Size your cache before you deploy it. C3X reads your Terraform and prices Azure Cache for Redis and the rest of your stack against a live catalog. Start with the quickstart.